Peru

People Helped in 2015: 1,005

585

People Received Nutritional Support

420

People Gained Economic Self Sufficiency

Peru has experienced significant economic growth over the past decade, but the gap between rich and the poor has not diminished and over 30% of its population remains poor, 10% of whom live in abject poverty. Peru has laudably reduced child malnutrition rates, but undernutrition remains a problem in the rural Andean regions where some 40% of families live in extreme poverty, over 30% of all children under five are chronically malnourished, and six in ten children are anemic and in need of iron supplements.

Active in Peru since 2007, Action Against Hunger’s teams carry out a range of food security programs that aim to combat child malnutrition and chronic micronutrient deficiencies while working to strengthen government health systems and community based organizations to improve information systems, promote breastfeeding, and strengthen commitments to biofortification and nutritional supplements for children under three years of age.

Our expertise in clean water and sanitation is also needed in rural Peru, where our reconstruction activities have focused on providing access to drinkable water while rebuilding irrigation systems and providing livelihoods support for vulnerable communities. By taking local needs into account, our water and sanitation and food security programs help at-risk communities recover and thrive.